Kaspar ebettmeyr



@twitch tstrs stsitt KASPAR EBERMEYR, OF ELLWANGEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR RIEDERER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. w

Letters Patent No. 71,593, dated December 3, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN MELODIJONS,

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, KASPAR EBERMEYR, of Ellwangen, in the Kingdom of Wurtemburg, Germany, did invent a new and useful Improvement in Musical Wind-Instrument; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to ineke and use the same, reference being had to theiaccompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure l represents a transverse vertical section of this invention in a plane parallel to the direction of the keys.

Figure 2 is a sectional rear elevation ofthe same, the linc'yy, ig. I, indicating the plane of section.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section ofthe same taken in the plane indicated by the line a: x, iig. 1.

Figures l and 5 are modifications, which will be referred to as the description progresses.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a melodeon, organ, or other musical instrument in which each key makes its own wind in such a manner that the ordinary bellows can be dispensed with, and the player is enabled to perform without assistance or without being compelled to operate the bellows with his feet. Furthermore, by my invention the player is enabled, by the very act of depressing the keyr with more or less force, to eiect the required expression, that is to say, the crescendo, diminuendo, and rinforzandol A represents a case, which encloses the bellows B, and reeds or pipes C. lIn the lower part of the case A is the key-board D, which supports the keys E. The reeds C are secured in the movable boards or sides of the bellows, and said bellows are subjected to the action of springs a, fig.'2, which have a tendency `to keep the' same closed. From the stationary board or base of each bellows projects a pin, which forms the fulerum for a bell-crank lever, c, one arm of which connects by a rod, d, with the appropriate key, while its other arm bears against astud, e, secured in the movable board of the bellows. This stud is protected by a roller, so as to reduce the friction. By depressing the key, the bell-crank lever turns in the direction of the arrow marked thereon in fig. 2, and the bellows is forced open against the action of its spring a, and as the bellows opens, the airis sucked in through the reed, and the desired sound is produced. This sound continues until the downward motion ofthe key-stops'. If the key is depressed quickly the sound is loud/and sharp, and if the key is depressed slowly the sound is soft, and it will be readily understood that, by properly proportioning the keys, the bell-V crank levers, and the bellows, the sound of each reed can be made to continue for some time without interruption; and, furthermore, by increasing or decreasing the downward velocity of the key, the sound can be made to swell or to die away gradually, and crescendo and deerescendo can .be expressed by the performer wit-h the greatest nicetyi I In the drawing only one reed is shown to each bellows, but it is obvious that two or more reeds may be attached to each bellows, and suitable stops may be provided, similar vto those in an organ, so that by adjusting the stops two or more sets of reeds can be played simultaneously. The sound of the reeds may also be strength;

-encd by the application of sounding-tubes, and instead oi' reeds ordinary pipes may be used.

The bellows represented in figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawing are made to produce the sound by sucking' in the air as they are forced open by the action of the keys; but if desired, the bellows may be arranged as shown in g. 4. In this case a spring-lever, c, bearing against a roller-stud, e', serves to keep the bellows open, and the spring-lever connects with the key, so that by depressing said key the end of the spring-lever is withdrawn from the roller-stud, 'and the bellows is permitted to close by the action of springs or -weights. When such bellows are used, the keys are fully depressed, like the keys of a common organ, and pipes of any desired description may be connected to said bellows.

The position iof the key-board may bebelow'the bellows, as shown iu the drawings, or it may be above the same, and connected with .them by suitable draught-rods, and, if desired, the pedal, as well as the manual, can be constructed according to my invention and since more power can be exerted with the feet thanv with the hands, the bellows of the pedal can be made proportionately larger, and pipes or reeds of large sine can be cone nected with them, and, furthermore, the sound can be made to swell or to die away with very good effect.

It is obvious that a great variety of mechanisms can be employed to cause the bellows to open or to close, by depressing the keys, besides those heretofore described, such as a combination of levers or an inclined lever and roller-stud, and I do not wish to conne myself to the precise construction or modification shown in the nfdrawing. The'key-board is made movable, so that the leverage of the keys in relation to the bellows can be increased or decreased, and, if desired, the same effect may be produced by making the fulcra of the levers, which serve to transmit the motion of the keys to the bellows, movable. A pedal, constructed according to my invention, can be connected to a piano-forte of the ordinary construction.

The nrt of playing one of my new instruments requires considerable practice; but a. practical performer can produce striking effects, since he is enabled to increase or decrease euch single tunc in contradist-inction to ordinary piano-fortes or organs, Where the swell a'ects the whole or zt large part ot' the key-board simultaneously.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

So combining the keys, the bellows, and reeds or pipes of a Amusical wind-instrument, that by the act of depressing the keys the appropriate bellows are putin operation, and the required wind is created to produce the sound of the appropriate reeds or pipes, substantially as shown and described.

This specification signed by me, this 23d day of May, 1867.

" KASPAR EBERMEYR.

Witnesses:

W. KEICHER, JEAN Rm'rn. 

